Until last night, I had seen all of the Ealing-Michael Balcon comedies but this one, of which I knew nothing until just a few days ago. I found the first 15-20 minutes so boring and anything but amusing that I nearly stopped watching it there, but then the "subway" sequence got a few laughs out of me and so I decided to go along. Even if this film does not stand among the funniest ones in the series it really had me laughing my head off at a few scenes: the poaching, Pusey being locked up at the police station, and the Maggie's crew discussing where to set course for after being spotted by Marshall from the air. I didn't know Paul Douglas before, and at first I thought I had missed a second or two in the opening titles because he looks like Herbert Marshall. I much liked his performance and totally sympathised with him at his misfortunes caused by that bunch of bumbling idiots from the boat. The cabin boy is the only member of the idiotic crew who has a bit of sense and wits about himself, although I have to admit that I felt pity of the skipper when Marshall tells him he has bought out the Maggie and will see her to a scrapyard after the voyage is over. That moment touched me because even if the skipper is an idiot the Maggie is his means of livelihood and it also is all he has in the world. Marshall's decision of losing his cargo in order to save the Maggie at the end stands out of credibility though, since the man has been losing loads of money ever since the crazy voyage began and saving the ship will gain him nothing. The skipper had already taken some cash in advance for the job and he had just accepted the fact that the boat was lost to the ravages of the sea. Why should Marshall then sacrifice his cargo like that after hating the skipper's guts all along? He could just save his cargo like the skipper tells him and then pay the man the rest of the money so he could buy himself a new boat. But despite of the improbable ending, I enjoyed this nice little comedy.
Review of High and Dry
